Mayor Eric Adams is backing away from a pledge to house migrants in Gracie Mansion — blaming “legal issues” for barring the move — while claiming just the “symbolism” of his offer is good enough.
“I think leading the challenge of the migrant problem is both substantive and symbolic and as I always said, ‘Good generals lead from the front,’” he told reporters Thursday at City Hall.
“They don’t send their troops into battle and ask, ‘How was the war?’ They lead them into battle. The symbolism of saying, ‘I’m willing to put a homeless family in Gracie’ is that symbolism.”
Hizzoner griped about “legal issues” that the city Law Department couldn’t get past to greenlight opening up the swank Upper East Side mansion to homeless migrants — without explaining the roadblocks.
“[W]e are never going to break the law. And so, we’d be able to know what we can’t do and what we can’t do as a symbolism of saying, ‘I’m willing to open up the people’s house to the people of the city.’”
Adams said earlier this month he’d be happy to welcome several migrants into the five-bedroom, 224-year-old estate on East 88th Street if he got clearance from the Big Apple’s lawyers.
It’s part of his search for “cheaper” housing options to help handle the crush of finding beds for nearly 50,000 individuals who arrived in New York over the last year from the US southern border.
Over 76,000 migrants have come to the city seeking refuge since last spring, according to the latest tally provided by City Hall.
Gotham has contracted with 169 “emergency” shelters, including hotels and large-scale Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers.
But the city began a new busing operation last month, asking migrants to volunteer for placement in upstate hotels.
City Hall previously said it’ll pay for all expenses through August, drawing criticism from county leaders and local government officials outside the five boroughs who argue their social services programs won’t be able to sustain a population increase after that period ends.
Both Rockland and Orange counties have filed lawsuits against the city, arguing that housing migrants in hotels breaks local law. Hearings on the matter are scheduled for later this month.
So far, 1% of the city’s migrant population is living upstate, according to the Adams administration.
City Hall’s budget hawks have estimated the move costs less than paying for shelter, food and other services in the city.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, said there’s space for migrants available on upstate SUNY campuses, but admitted Adams hasn’t asked her to make the beds available yet.
“Everything is on the table. We’ve had multiple conversations, and wherever we can get space, we are looking at,” the mayor said Thursday when asked for an update by The Post.
